Monroe House

Chris's Encounter

       Chris peeked over the fallen tree and surveyed the darkness. He couldn't see anything or anyone. He wasn't followed.
        He released the shaky breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and slumped back down. His mind worked overtime to come up with a plan. He hadn't seen where everyone had run to, besides Julia. Quickly he checked to make sure his own knife hadn't flown out of its' holster. It hadn't. He sighed again.
      It was decided. Quietly he turned around and checked his surroundings. Nothing. Chris took in a deep breath and prepared to run in the direction Julia took. Before he could, the snap of a twig and a low growl froze him in place.
        Slowly he turned around and came face to face with one of the wolf creatures they encountered earlier. It fixated its' blood red eyes on Chris as it slowly stalked closer to him. Its' long, gaunt limbs cracking and popping with each movement.
       Chris stared back at the creature. He went to unsheathe his knife when the monster pounced. The teen whirled around and shot his arm up defensively. The canine's teeth crushed down on it, fracturing bones and shooting blood. The force sent Chris backwards into the tree with a heavy thud.
        He yelled in pain, frantically kicking and punching at the wolf's muzzle and midsection. Desperately trying to get the animal to release him. The wolf in return thrashed its' head from side to side, growling and snarling. It then began to drag Chris forward. Now in a sitting position, he was slightly above the creature's head. He lifted his fist and slammed it into its' eye. The wolf yelped and let go of Chris, who fell onto his stomach and injured arm.
        The boy gasped from the impact. Before he knew it, his arm was seized again. The creature began to drag Chris deeper into tree line.
        Pain shot through his arm and across his back as he was dragged along the forest floor. The teen yelled and screamed in agony as he clawed at the creature's face, trying to free his arm once again.
       In the midst of the chaos, he remembered his knife was only inches away. He repeatedly kicked his knee up, haphazardly grabbing for his weapon. He managed to grab its handle and rip it from its' casing. In a swift motion he flipped it around and struck it backwards, sticking the blade into the monster's head. It shrieked in horror and agony, releasing Chris from its' vice-like jaws. The high schooler turned and watched as the animal shot to its' hind legs and stumble around. It clawed at the knife, trying to dislodge it from its' own skull.
        Slowly the wolf's movements became weaker and weaker. With a final howl, it fell to the floor with a heavy thud, dead.
       Chris sobbed in relief as he gripped his injured arm tightly. Blood and tears stained his hoodie and pants. He used his good arm to push himself up, weakly regaining his footing. His back stung from where the exposed skin had dragged across the rough foliage of the ground. He leaned down and yanked his weapon out of the creature's head, nearly falling back down in the process.
      He groaned as black dots danced in his vision. Chris managed to compose himself enough to straighten up fully and begin to turn back. Before he turned completely, something caught his eye. In the middle of a large clearing just beyond the dense tree line stood the very building they came here for.
      Monroe House.